The Empires of Persia

THE EMPIRES OF PERSIAI will analyze the rise, fall, and importance of the 4 Empires that dominated Persia from 558 B.C.E. to 651 C.E.

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PERSIAN EMPIRES Location:

Arose from contemporary Iran Four major dynasties

Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) Seleucids (323-283 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224-651 CE)

Geographic Analysis: Using modern Atlases, determine the expanse of the Persian Empires compared to Modern Nations or geographic landforms.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING Based on the following

maps of the four Persian dynasties, what can you conclude about the history of the Persian Empires? Justify your response.

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MIGRATIONS INTO PERSIA Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia

to Persia (Modern Iran), before 1000 BCE Indo-Europeans – Language Organized in Clans and not states Good on horses, skilled archers (even on horse back)

Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian empires, although they were originally their subjects

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ACHAEMENID EMPIRE (558-330 BCE) Cyrus (r. 558-530 BCE) founder of dynasty

“Cyrus the Shepherd” – Not wealthy Tough and skilled military strategist. Became king of Persian tribes in 558 B.C.E. Conquered all of Iran by 534 B.C.E. and Lydia in Anatolia

546 Between 545 BCE and 539 BCE he took Bactria (modern

Afghanistan) and Babylonia in 539 B.C.E. as well Died in 530 B.C.E. in battle.

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ACHAEMENID EMPIRE (558-330 BCE) Cambyses, Cyrus’s son conquered Egypt in 525

B.C.E. Peak of Empire under Darius (r. 521-486 BCE)

Ruled from the Indus River to the Aegean Sea He pushed the Empire farther East and West Empire stretched 1,865 miles East to West and 933 mile North to

South Population of 35 Million…Most the world had yet seen

27 Ethnic groups Pioneered administrative techniques to manage the

massive Empire Established the Capital in Persepolis in 520 B.C.E.

Summarize Information from the reading.

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ACHAEMENID ADMINISTRATION: THE SATRAPIES King titles = “The Great King, King of Kings, King of

Persia, King of Countries.” Darius divided the Realm into 23 Satrapies

(Administrative and taxation districts) Ruled by Satraps

Satraps mostly Persian, but their staff was principally made up of local officials.

System of spies and surprise audits AKA- “Eyes and ears of the king”Minimized possibilities of local rebellion

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ACHAEMENID ADMINISTRATION: THE SATRAPIES Finances

Standardized currency for taxation purposes (From the defeated Lydian King Croesus)

Regular Tax levies expected from each Satrapy No uniform law code for entire empire, old laws remained in

conquered areas. Just matched laws to the Empires expectations.

Transportation of People and Information: Massive road building- Persian Royal Road (1600 miles)

Some stone roads Courier services (messages)

111 Postal stations ever 25 to 30 miles with fresh horses for couriers to continue travelling

Could send messages as fast as 2 weeks time across the Royal Road, Caravans took 90 days.

Almost 8000 miles of total roads.

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TECHNOLOGIES Qanat: System of underground canals

Improved agricultural production Avoided excessive loss to evaporation

Iron Metallurgy Spread throughout the whole empire during this

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DECLINE OF THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius

Seen as new legitimate rulers in Babylonia Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem for Jews that was

destroyed by the Babylonians Xerxes (486-465 BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp

on satrapies in Egypt and Mesopotamia He fought revolutions harshly and was not as tolerant as

Cyrus or Darius Increasing public discontent

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PERSIAN WARS (500-479 BCE) Rebellious Greeks in Ionia (Anatolia)

Did not like their new “Tyrant Rulers” and were closely connected to their cousins on the Greek Peninsula

They executed their governors and launched the Persian Wars Peninsular Greeks join in Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated

Xerxes failed to regain control of the area. However Greek City-States were not organized enough to

pose a threat to the Achaemenid Empire Safe for 150 years

FALL OF THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid Empire

(334-331 BCE) Alexander and his father unite Greece in the Macedonian

Empire Well disciplined solders with heavier arms and more

sophisticated tactics defeat Persians easily Alexander declared himself the heir to

Achaemenid Rulers Paid Respects to Cyrus Later burned Persepolis Kept Satrap administration

However Alexander died in 323 B.C.E. leaving the door open for new Persian Empires.

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SELEUCID EMPIRE Alexander the Great dies suddenly Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus (r. 305-281

BCE) Seleucus became Emperor

Maintained Achaemenid systems of administration and taxation. Founded New cities throughout the realm and attracted Greek

colonists The Seleucids face opposition from the Persians ruling classes Attacked by rebellion in India causing them to lose their

satraps in the area Invasion of Parthians in Iran Kept some rule until 83 B.C.E. when the Romans arrived.

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THE ACHAEMENID AND SELUCID EMPIRES, 558-83 B.C.E.

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PARTHIAN EMPIRE Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran

Good warrior who used alfalfa to feed horses in the winter to make them bigger and stronger to defeat other nomadic groups who struggled to feed their horses in the winter. Their horses gave them a military advantage and could hold larg

warriors with heavy equipment. By the 3rd C. B.C.E. they began to fight for their

independence from the Seleucus Empire Won independence in 238 B.C.E., gradual grew larger Mithradates I, Their greatest leader came to power in 171 By 155 B.C.E. they controlled Iran and pushed into

Mesopotamia

PARTHIAN EMPIRE Federated governmental structure

Similar with satraps but without the strong centralized government

Capital in Ctesiphon (near Baghdad) Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans to the west Fell to internal rebellion

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SASANID EMPIRE (224-651 CE) Claimed descent from Achaemenids and restored

Imperial Rule (Emporers) Conquered the Parthians in 224 C.E. and ruled until 651

C.E. Traded actively with peoples to the east and west Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the west,

Kush in the east Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651 Persian administration and culture absorbed into local

Islamic culture

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THE PARTHIAN AND SASANID EMPIRES, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E

OBJECTIVEI will evaluate the major accomplishments and characteristics of the Persian Empires in regards to the 5 SPICE themes in AP World.

SPICE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Add as many details as you can to the Politics

section of your SPICE graphic Organizer based on the information that you have gained from the lecture notes. Focus specifically on the Political Category. Add More where possible.

SPICE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Read about Persian Society on Pages 169-171

1. Create notes on the section.2. Add key details to your SPICE Graphic Organizer.

Read about the Persian Economy on Pages 171-172 Create Notes on the Section Add key details to your SPICE Graphic Organizer.

Read about Zarathustra- Pages 175-1751. Create notes on the Section.2. Read the Sources from the past on 176 and

evaluate what you can conclude about Zarathustrianism.

3. Add key details to your SPICE Graphic Organizer.

DOL Create a 5 sentence SPICE summary for each

of the following themes for the Persian Empires that begins with a thesis statement: Social Political Interaction with the Environment Cultural Economic

READ ABOUT ZARATHUSTRA- PAGES 175-1751. Create notes on the Section.2. Create a new 5 to 7 sentence SPICE

Summary for Culture regarding Persia.3. Read the Sources from the past on 176 and

evaluate what you can conclude about Zarathustrianism.

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PERSIAN SOCIETY Early steppe traditions

Group types: Warriors, priests, peasants Family/clan kinship very important

Creation of bureaucrat class with Empire Tax collectors Record keepers translators

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SLAVE CLASS Prisoners of war, conquered populations Debtors Children, spouses also sold into slavery Principally domestic servitude

Some agricultural labor, public works

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PERSIAN ECONOMY Several areas exceptionally fertile

Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-building Goods from India especially valued

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ZOROASTRIANISM Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE)

Prophet of Ahura Mazda the good god Against Angra Mainu the evil spirit

Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed Gathas

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FORTUNES OF ZOROASTRIANISM Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi, burning

Zoroastrian temples Weak Parthian support Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of non-

Zoroastrians Discrimination under Islam

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OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN THE PERSIAN EMPIRE Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE

“constitution of Judaism” Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism also survived